


The Space Between

by Palmito



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-27 04:39:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10801896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Palmito/pseuds/Palmito
Summary: A collection of moments between the fantastic scenes of Zootopia





	The Space Between

**Author's Note:**

> When I re-watched Zootopia recently, I noticed the name of Judy's WiFi and this story just kind of... happened. It's a "brief" one-shot that I may end up turning into a collection of one-shots to cover the space between the scenes (hence the work title). Enjoy!

The neighbors' door closed, Judy turned to explore her new home. A task she quickly realized wouldn't occupy her for long.

"Greasy walls," she whispered aloud, noting the out-of-date wallpaper. "Rickety bed," she continued, setting her suitcase down beside the heater. Almost on cue, the stock photos on the wall beside her bed started to shake as her neighbors got into what she suspected was a fairly regular shouting match. "Crazy neighbors..."

"I love it!!"

Judy sprawled out on the bed, her mind racing with all the sights she'd seen in her short time in the city. True, her living accommodations weren't exactly 5-star, but that didn't matter much. It wasn't like she planned to be in her apartment much anyway. Between the time demands of being an inner-city ZPD officer and her desire to explore every inch of this extraordinary metropolis, she'd likely be using the space as little more than a place to sleep and store her clothing.

"Okay," she said, sitting up. "Time to unpack."

Judy threw open her suitcase and quickly dashed around the room, putting her belongings in their proper place. "Alright, uniforms here, iPawd there, umbrella in the corner, notepad and family photo on the desk, suitcase under the bed, aaaaaaaand, done!" She glanced at the alarm clock on the windowsill. 2:27. Still plenty of time to run errands, maybe try a local restaurant for dinner, then turn in early to get a good night's rest in preparation for a perfect first day on the job.

She sat at the desk and took out the carrot recorder pen her closest siblings had given her as a going away present. "Now then," she pondered, "what do I need...?" She started on her list:

  1. Welcome mat
  2. Toiletries
  3. Mini-fridge
  4. Microwave
  5. Frozen dinners



 

She paused, looking around her room. "What else? What else…? Ah!"

     6. Internet Router

Satisfied with her list, she quickly Zoogled the nearest Targoat and headed out, taking care not to forget her key.

______________________

Judy hopped up the steps of her building loaded down with the fruits of her shopping trip. She had originally planned to stay out and see more of the sights, but she quickly realized that the sheer number of things to see meant she'd be better off getting some recommendations from the internet. Or, she considered, pausing outside her apartment door and glancing to the neighbors', from the locals. She shook her head. Doubtful. Still, the short walk to the neighborhood Targoat hadn't been without excitement. She was still getting accustomed to seeing mammals of all sizes wandering around side by side, and the ingenuity that went into designing the city to accommodate all those mammals amazed her at every turn. The sidewalks, streets, and crossroads alone had to be organized just so in order for everyone to navigate them safely. Judy doubted she'd ever run out of things to notice.

After quickly unloading and her welcome mat, new appliances, and groceries, she took out her receipt and set it on the desk. Glancing at it, she knew she was about to exceed her moving budget. "Well," she shrugged, "at least I won't be spending much this week, apart from a decent meal tonight."

Lastly, she turned to set up the router, plugging it in and followed the setup instructions for mobile users. For some reason, though, the setup menu on her phone said she wasn't connected. Judy checked the plugs. All connected. Okay, off then on again. She waited… and still nothing. "Okay, so if the power is on, the cables are all plugged in, and the router isn't defective, then either my four-year-old phone is finally busted or…" She slapped herself on the forehead. "Oh sweet cheese and crackers. I haven't paid the internet bill yet!"

Using her phone's data connection, she quickly found out how much it would cost. The only internet company in this area was Bright Mouse Networks, and the price was… starting at 80 Bucks a month?! She sighed. Even if she hadn't already blown through the majority of her budget on other necessities, that was more than she expected, and more than she cared to spend given her income and expenses. But she anticipated needing the internet for work; she didn't have unlimited mobile data, so WiFi wasn't exactly optional. She rapidly went over options in her head, her foot thumping furiously, when suddenly the idea came to her.

She looked in her phone's WiFi settings again. No nearby access points. She grinned. _Perfect._

_______________________

Judy knocked enthusiastically on the neighboring door.

"Bucky, get the door," a voice from within called out.

"I got it last time, you get it!" another voice, which Judy assumed to belong to Bucky, replied in crescendo.

"No, you get it!"

"No, YOU get it!"

The exchange went on long enough that Judy was just about to knock again and talk right through the door when it opened to reveal one of her neighbors.

"Oh, it's you," the oryx said neutrally.

_Okay, just dive right in._ "Hi. I didn't catch your name earlier, but I'm Judy, and-"

"I remember."

_Just keep going._ "Great! Well, anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself and maybe see if you knew somewhere I could grab a decent but cheap meal?"

The tall mammal considered, as though he about to slam the door in her face and just go back inside. Instead, to Judy's relief, he turned his head. "Bucky! Where would you recommend that's cheap but has decent food a rabbit might like?" Judy waited eagerly. No answer, only a loud snore.

In the interim, the oryx turned to her, sighing "I'm Pronk, and the lazy idiot you hear pretending to sleep is my husband Bucky. He's got good taste in food though. One of the only reasons I keep him around," he continued, raising his voice, "Bucky! I know you're not asleep already, now get out here!"

With all the noise that followed, Judy would've sworn there were at least three mammals clattering around to come to the door. When it opened further, the kudu, who Judy now knew to be Bucky, glanced down, rolled his eyes, and rattled off "Okay bunny, pay attention because I'm not gonna repeat myself. Three decent options: Wooligan's Bar & Grill, Pawlive Garden, and Capybarrito Brothers. I'd go with Wooligan's. Varied menu, nice atmosphere, but any of those three are good. You can Zoogle the directions. Got it? Good," he said pulling Pronk along and closing the door.

That is, until a certain quick bunny caught it. "Thanks! Actually, I was wondering something else. Do you two happen to have WiFi?"

"We share a tiny apartment with a communal bathroom," Pronk chortled, coming back into view. "You think we have money to spare on the inflated internet fees in this part of town?"

"Good point. Well, I can't afford it either. At least, not by myself. But, I was thinking, if we split it then maybe-"

"40:60," Bucky interjected.

Judy arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, what?"

"Bucky!" Pronk whined.

"Shut up. 40:60 split. We can swing that if we just get the basic speed." Turning to Judy, he continued, "I've been trying to convince him to let me get real internet for over a year. We actually CAN afford it, he's just too damn cheap."

"FRUGAL," Pronk corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up. Anyway, we'll pay the first of every month." He withdrew briefly into the apartment and came back out with 60 Bucks in hoof. "That should cover us for this one, including the installation fee."

Judy blinked, shocked it could be that simple after the rest of the conversation.

"In or out, rabbit?"

"Oh! Uh, in! Definitely in. As long as you're the 60 and I'm the 40."

"Obviously," Bucky snorted. "Slip the network name and password under our door when you set it up. Cya."

Judy stood there for a moment, still flummoxed, as the door closed. Turning back toward her own apartment, she heard the rumblings of an argument, ending with Pronk groaning, "Fine, fine. But the first month is coming out of YOUR spending allowance."

Judy smiled, grabbed her key, and headed out once more to try the first place Bucky had suggested. She stored the names of the other restaurants in her phone for later. As she hopped down the street, admiring the sight of her neighborhood in the pleasant glow of the setting sun, she ran through options for the WiFi name in her head until the perfect one came to her.

______________________

When her alarm went off at 5:30 am, Judy had already been awake for 20 minutes. She was well-rested and raring to go. _And well-fed,_ she thought. Wooligan's had lived up to the recommendation, and she could almost feel the delicious vegetable stir-fry she'd enjoyed the night before filling her with energy. She stopped in front of the mirror to check her badge, then paused at the door, briefly considering the idea of carrying the fox repellent her dad had given her. "Eh," she shrugged, grabbing her key and leaving it on the table.

Stepping outside, she took the note from her pocket with the WiFi name and password and slipped it under the door for Bucky and Pronk. Even though Bright Mouse Networks had almost absurd prices, she had to give them points for customer service; they were able to activate her internet remotely after hours once she'd paid the fee. As she passed by her door again, she thought again of the fox repellent sitting just inside. Well, it's better to have it and not need it, she reasoned, opening the door again and snatching it before dashing to her long-awaited first day as an officer.

______________________

Several hours later, Pronk stepped out of bed (first, as usual) and gathered his washing supplies for his morning shower. As he was about to open the door, he noticed the note on the floor, smiling as he read:

_Thanks for the tip, the food at Wooligan's was delicious! Maybe we could go to the next place on the list together._

_\- Judy_

_Network name: PB &J_

_Password: Welc0me2Zoot0p1a_

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything in a long time, and I know there's plenty of room for improvement. Still, I hope you liked this first attempt at fic writing. Let me know what you think in the comments!


End file.
